This morning, the tabloids had a field day attacking Lower East Side Democrats for selecting an ally of disgraced former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver to run in the upcoming April 19 special election called by NY Governor Andrew Cuomo. Good government groups and newspaper editorial boards criticized Cuomo for allowing political bosses to control who gets nominated.
The Daily News’ had a front page calling it, ‘A DOG AND CRONY SHOW,’ the tabloid focused its ire on two women in Shelly Silver’s orbit: “Disgraced former Assemblyman Sheldon Silver appears to still be pulling strings, controlling crucial votes in the contest to pick his successor. … Among those in on the vote were the wives of Silver and William Rapfogel … ”
The Observer remarked that “Numerous allies of Mr. Silver, convicted on corruption charges last year, worked the room ahead of the decision-including his former chief of staff Judy Rapfogel, wife of his close friend William Rapfogel, who pleaded guilty in 2014 to using his post as CEO of the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty to embezzle $9 million. … [Democratic candidates Paul] Newell, [Jenifer] Rajkumar and [Gigi] Li all told the Observer they intended to run against the winner of the special election in the Democratic primary in September.”
Alice Cancel (left), alongside Council Member Rosie Mendez (right) addresses the 65AD County Committee meeting.
The Wall Street Journal reported: “Lower Manhattan district leader Alice Cancel will be the Democratic nominee to succeed former Assemblyman Sheldon Silver in an April 19 special election. A vote for Ms. Cancel on Sunday by members of the New York County Democratic Committee, however, didn’t go off without a hitch. One of the other Democrats vying for the nomination, Assembly aide Yuh-Line Niou, said before the vote that she was dropping out of the [Democratic] race, calling it a flawed and undemocratic process. Instead Ms. Niou will run on the ballot in April for the Working Families Party [which] said in a statement Sunday night that Ms. Niou will be ‘a voice for reform in Albany.'”
The political sideshow cast a shadow over what Lower East Side political activists considered a historical moment for the area’s Puerto Rican community. If elected, Cancel would become the first Puerto Rican to represent that ethnically diverse district in the state assembly.
Our managing editor Michael Benjamin covered the Manhattan Democratic County Committee meeting and recorded Ms. Cancel’s acceptance speech.

65AD District Leader and Democratic nominee Alice Cancel makes remarks accepting her nomination. She will run as Democratic replacement for the disgraced Sheldon Silver.
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